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Christmas is one of the best parties where the whole family gathers. No matter how much attention you paid to the smallest detail in the decoration of the Christmas tree or in the placement of the bright lights on the balcony, the look cannot help but notice the red, pink or white colors of the poinsettia. It has become a symbol of the Christian holiday.
But to enjoy the beautiful plant, it is necessary to know what care to take. Perhaps the most important thing is the light. Unlike spring plants, the poinsettia is active in winter. Therefore, it is not advisable to leave the pot in the shade. It is best to be next to a window facing south, but the leaves do not touch the glass.
The flower needs sunlight for at least 5 hours a day. For it to bloom, it is recommended to start darkening it from October. At night, around 6-19 pm, it is good to cover it with a cardboard box or a black plastic bag. Find Christmas Eve in the morning when you wake up. Do not interrupt this process for at least a few weeks.
Not necessarily, but you can fertilize the poinsettia after the end of summer slumber, usually in mid to late September. In this way the flowers will be larger, but many gardeners prefer to save that effort because the difference is not significant.
The temperature of the room in which the plant is located is an important factor. It is best to be around 20-25 degrees. If it is colder, the flower will freeze. Excessive heat coupled with frequent watering of poinsettia, which you need, can lead to root rot. Therefore, do not place the pot of the plant near a radiator or heater. Another specificity of the flower is that it does not support direct cold currents.
Watering the poinsettia is relatively common compared to spring plants. If you feel that the top layer of the soil is dry, pour a lot of water. It will drain into the saucer of the pot, which you will then need to clean. It is mandatory because otherwise the roots are very likely to rot.
At the end of winter, in March, the leaves and flowers of the poinsettia will begin to fall. Then comes the moment of rest. Move it to a cooler place where it is around 15 degrees. Reduce the height to 10 cm, this will stimulate the appearance of new leaves in the fall. Do not discard fallen twigs. You can use them to propagate the flower.
To root them, you need to put them in a special soil mixture. It is prepared from compost or rotten compost, garden soil and sand. If they do take root, you can move them to a pot. At this stage, it is most important to provide sufficient moisture to the poinsettia. Carefully water the plant with a jet of water, because it is still too fragile. If it begins to grow, it is advisable to feed it with fertilizers to intensify the process.
Watering the poinsettia from which you separated the cuttings for propagation should be very rare. Spring and summer are the months when it rests. In the hottest season, you can take the pot out to the garden or balcony, but do not expose it to direct sunlight. Make sure the temperatures don’t drop below 10 degrees at night.
According to legend, Jesus Christ created it from dried flowers that were given to him.
There are many legends about the poinsettia. One of the most popular is related to America. According to her, a poor girl from a Mexican city wanted to present a gift in front of a statue of Jesus Christ. However, there was nothing valuable about him. For this reason, her father reassured her with the words: “Jesus will accept all gifts, provided they are from the heart.”
The girl found dried flowers in a field near the road. He placed them in front of the statue, and in a few minutes large red flowers bloomed, those of poinsettia.
Of course, the plant was known long before and its homeland is America. It has been used by the ancient Aztecs as a medicine. Its colors also served to create red paint. The poinsettia came to Europe in the 19th century.
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